The hysteria about mosques in the United States is nothing new in our
history. Even though the United States was founded by a ragtag series
of religious heretics seeking freedom to worship as they would; even
though its constitution enshrines freedom of religion– even so, periods
of religious intolerance have reared their ugly heads repeatedly in
American history.

Even though Pennsylvania was founded on the principle of religious toleration as set out in William Penn’s Charter of Liberties,
even though its leaders in the 18th century made a place for Catholics
and Jews and various Protestant groups, by the 1840s a bunch of bigotted
yahoos called ‘Nativists’ were desecrating those noble American values.

In 1796 two Irish friars were sent by the Vatican to buy land for the
church, and its cornerstone was laid. “Contributors to the church
included President Washington, Commodore John “Father of the U.S. Navy”
Barry …, and Constitution signer Thomas Fitzsimons.” Note that the
Founding Generation supported the church even though it received Foreign
Funding. And, in Britain (and British-ruled Ireland), Catholicism
labored under severe disabilities, having been until the late 18th
century more or less outlawed. Even in the beginning stages of Catholic
emancipation, Catholics were required to assert that they rejected the
idea of the Pope having temporal power in order to get basic rights.

As with today’s anti-Muslim bigots, who charge Muslims with wanting
to rule the world and impose their religious law on everyone, so the
mainstream Protestant rap against the Catholic church was also the
charge that it sought political dominance.

The Liberty Bell had been cast in 1752 in England to celebrate Penn’s
charter of liberties, but was cracked. Another was cast, the Sister
Bell, which ultimately was put in the Olde St. Augustine church.

So Olde St. Augustine was hallowed ground in the history of American religious freedom.

(I might interject that one branch of my family, the Catholic Kohls/
Coles, arrived from Darmstadt in 1830 and settled in Chambersburg, Pa.,
and would have witnessed the rise of the Nativists in their new home.)

The Bible was still taught in American schools in the early 1840s,
and Bishop Francis Kenrick successfully petitioned the school system to
allow Catholic students to use a Catholic Bible. Furious Protestants
accused him of being anti-Bible and of plotting to gradually push the
Bible out of the school curriculum altogether.

The Nativists came out in numbers to mount demonstrations in Irish
Catholic neighborhoods in north Philadelphia. One of them turned
violent and four Protestants were killed. The Nativists asserted that
one of their martyrs had been trying to raise an American flag as he was
killed by the “Papists.”

After that mobs formed and burned St. Michael’s Catholic church.
Then they attacked Olde St. Augustine and burned it down, library,
Sister Bell, and all. William Penn and George Washington were spinning
in their graves.

In the real United States it doesn’t matter what your religion is,
and you can build your house of worship where you please, and you don’t
have to be born here to be a citizen. Nativists believed the opposite
of all these things. They formed a secret party in the nineteenth
century that they called the “Know-Nothings.”

After snatching the kerosene-covered book from Grisham, Isom handed it
to Dennis Cobbins, an imam at the Islamic Center of Amarillo. Cobbins
says he was overwhelmed by the support he'd received from the community.
"The city we live in has zero tolerance for bigotry," he told the
paper.

Grisham
-- known locally for extremist acts, such as demanding his supporters
boycott Houston because of its "social ills" -- left the park
peacefully, to cheers from demonstrators waving crosses and "Love Thy
Neighbor" banners. However, speaking to the Globe-News, he declared it
ironic that Isom was praised for his actions -- which he calls "theft"
-- while he was denied his right to free speech.

That has nothing to do is the President of the United States pleading with the pastor not to burn the Koran because of fear of Islam's violent threats. America and the President of the United States held hostage by Islam 9 1 1 2010.

That has nothing to do is the President of the United States pleading with the pastor not to burn the Koran because of fear of Islam's violent threats. America and the President of the United States held hostage by Islam 9 1 1 2010.

What would happen to someone who burnt the koran in Saudi home of islam?

Thanks for avoiding my question. Again, explain how Islam is dangerous? I sure since making that remark all the Muslims here on this website who abide by their holy scripture are looking to kill you. So because this maybe true using your logic tell me what is your reasoning.

Thanks for avoiding my question. Again, explain how Islam is dangerous? I sure since making that remark all the Muslims here on this website who abide by their holy scripture are looking to kill you. So because this maybe true using your logic tell me what is your reasoning.

I am very disappointed to say that I have been given a warning from the
moderator. So I am dropping out of the discussions on this topic at
Islamicity.

Thanks for avoiding my question. Again, explain how Islam is dangerous? I sure since making that remark all the Muslims here on this website who abide by their holy scripture are looking to kill you. So because this maybe true using your logic tell me what is your reasoning.

I am very disappointed to say that I have been given a warning from the moderator. So I am dropping out of the discussions on this topic at Islamicity.

Doug L.

You have not been given any warning here. You have only been told to comply with the guidelines. When warnings are issued, it clearly uses the word "warning."

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